Page 6 of One Little Kiss
But damn, some days it’s not so easy to remember, and this morning is one of them.
Noelle swallows what she’s chewing and shoots me a sidelong glance. “Oh, hiiii Mark.”
She draws out the words in a terrible Eastern European accent and I snicker despite the throbbing in my skull.
I laugh harder at Leah’s look of confusion. She clearly doesn’t get that Noelle’s quoting a movie.
Noelle loves terrible movies as much as I do, and the one she just quoted is widely regarded as one of the worst movies of all time. We must’ve watchedThe Roomno less than a hundred times, and Noelle loves to randomly toss out a quote when I least expect it.
One of my favorite things in the world is watching guys drool over her in the hallway only to have her come up to me at my locker and whip out this awful impersonation.
If only those guys could see her doing a bad Arnold Schwarzenneger accent. They wouldn’t recognize her.
Not many people outside of her closest friends realize what a dork she really is. All they see are the crazy high cheekbones, the too-big eyes and the ridiculously full lips. Not to mention the curves in all the right places.
The girl is hotter than hell, and that’s all most guys see. The fact that she can quote horrible movies and kick my ass in MarioKart?
Those are secrets I hold close. They’re what make me her best friend and everyone else…
Well, everyone else.
“Want some breakfast?” Leah asks. She’s already jumping up to fetch me food, but I wave her off.
Noelle meets my gaze for just a second, but it’s long enough to see that she saw it too. We’ve talked before about Leah’s gratitude, and how I can’t stand it.
I love my cousin. Adore her, really. She’s the closest thing I have to a sibling. But ever since I found out she was being bullied at her own school and intervened, convincing my parents to let her live with us and go to my school, she’s been trying way too hard to make it up to me.
Worse, I suspect it’s not just gratitude at play. There’s also a hint of pity there, and that I can’t stand. But I guess it’s one thing to visit me and my family every summer. It’s another to experience it day in and day out. More than once she’s come home with me to an empty house and winced.Do they always travel this much?
The answer is always yes. They do. They always have. They likely always will. Their careers keep them on the road, and considering their guilt gives me more freedom and money than any other seventeen-year-old I know, I don’t think it’s such a bad deal.
Most of the time.
Leah sets down a tray of store-bought muffins and Noelle lunges for one.
I arch my brows. I know for a fact that she gets her fill of junk food at my house, since her mom is obsessed with dieting. But lunging for a muffin is intense, even for a carb-deprived Noelle. “Didn’t your date feed you?”
Noelle gives a little snort of amusement. “Oh, he did, but it was some uppity spot with super tiny dishes. I didn’t want to look like a pig by ordering two entrees.”
I snicker. I could totally see her doing that.
“Just once I wish a guy would take me somewhere I can wear a T-shirt and yoga pants and stuff my face.” She feigns a sigh as Leah and I laugh.
“You’re the one who insists on dating older men,” I say.
“With age comes small plates,” Leah says in a faux sage tone that makes me and Noelle laugh.
“Too true,” Noelle agrees, going along with the serious tone. “Next time I agree to go out with a guy I’m gonna insist on casual attire and a trip to Madeline’s Bakery.”
I grin as I pour myself some coffee. “I’d love to see one of your frat boys sit there and watch you stuff your face with eclairs.”
“Hey.” Noelle snags the mug from my hands and I give it up with a sigh, already reaching for another one. “I eat eclairs with class and grace.”
I laugh at her haughty tone, but Leah’s bustling around again.
“Do you want some eggs?” She grabs a frying pan out of the drawer. “Or how about pancakes?”
Noelle dips her head, and I know she feels it too. This awkwardness when Leah tries too hard.
